General Interest

As one of Hidalgo County’s newest state representatives, Oscar Longoria (District 35), is already actively engaged in legislative issues important to South Texas.

State Representative District 35 was created last year during the re-districting process. The district covers a broad, mostly rural, area stretching from La Joya in Western Hidalgo County, swinging north around Mission, McAllen and Edinburg, then dipping south and taking in a slice of northern Weslaco and Harlingen. Local cities included in the new district are La Joya, Sullivan, Peñitas and just a small part of far northwest McAllen.

Read more: New State Rep. Oscar Longoria seeks to restore education funding

MISSION – Mission Regional Medical Center invites the residents of Mission and surrounding communities to an open house on Friday, Feb. 1, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., to celebrate the grand opening of MissionHealth, the newest medical clinic in Mission. A short ribbon-cutting ceremony will be at 12 p.m., followed by tours, drawings for door prizes, free first aid kits and refreshments. The clinic is located at 1922 East Griffin Parkway, Suite A.

Read more: MissionHealth open house today

The Magic Valley Men of A-Chord and the Rio Grande Valley Concert Band will perform together in concert at Trinity Worship Center in Pharr on Feb. 15. The concert is a benefit for the Texas Lions Camp for children with physical disabilities and Type I diabetes. The band and the chorus are donating their services for the children.

Read more: Men of A-Chord, Concert Band performing Lions benefit

The University of Texas-Pan American Coastal Studies Lab will offer a two-day professional development teacher workshop Feb. 22 to 23 focused on the Arroyo Colorado. It will be presented in partnership with Sea Grant Texas, the SPI Birding and Nature Center and the Arroyo Colorado Partnership.

Read more: UTPA's Coastal Studies offers teacher workshop

Learn to create an outdoor habitat for birds and butterflies in the "Backyard Habitat Steward" series at Quinta Mazatlan in McAllen. The series runs from Feb 4 to March 19 every Tuesday morning from 9 to 11:30 a.m. The series features experts in the Valley leading walks, giving talks and directing hands-on projects.

Read more: Backyard habitat program begins Feb. 4

The University of Texas-Pan American’s College of Health Sciences and Human Services (CHSHS) is taking community engagement a step further and branching out to one of the Rio Grande Valley’s most popular venues—the “pulga.”

Read more: UTPA program brings health education to the public

Hidalgo County Drainage District No. 1 heard a presentation on the financing of $84 million in bonds for drainage improvement projects approved in the November election in their Tuesday, Jan. 22 meeting. The district board also approved a one-year extension of Godfrey Garza’s consulting contract – valued at $122,400.

Read more: Drainage district hears options for sale of $84M bonds

As their first order of business, Hidalgo County approved a new budget amendment policy in their Tuesday, Jan. 22, meeting that stated, “Once the county budget has been adopted for the ensuing fiscal year, the County of Hidalgo Commissioner’s Court will not consider any changes to the number of positions and salary paid to each authorized position within a department/office which will have a fiscal impact on the current or future General Fund budgets.

Read more: County approves budget amendment policy